“It has been a privilege to have spent the past two years at Essendon. I have made many new friendships and hopefully many of them for life,” Michael told the media this afternoon.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed my last two seasons. Upon my arrival, I felt instantly accepted by the coaching staff, the administrators, the players and the supporters.
“In particular it has been a privilege to play alongside such champions as Dustin Fletcher, Matthew Lloyd, Scott Lucas, Scott Camporeale and James HIrd as well as many other fine young players at the club.
Michael said despite having made the decision to retire he had no thoughts of ending his career immediately.
“I felt that the club had been good enough to give me a two year contract to begin with, I was going to fulfil that contract,” he said.
“I also felt that I am here to develop some of the younger players and if I had left straight away, I wouldn’t have done that. I hope that by the time I do leave here, I will have left the club in a better state than when I got here.
“I have seen Paddy Ryder and Tayte Pears and Danny Chartres develop so I think my work is done here.”
Michael’s career has been a distinguished one and it includes three Premierships with the Brisbane Lions.
“I have played for 13 years and have had a pretty good run. I think if you had of told me in December of 1995 at Collingwood that I would play 13 years, had some success and played over 250 games, I would have taken that,” Michael said.
“For me the decision was quite an easy one in the end because the warning signs were there. I was getting to Friday morning pretty sore and tired from the previous week and waking up on Saturday morning hoping that I would be right for the weekend’s game.
“I think once you start doing that, it is out of your control and you have to start taking a serious look at your future. I should also say I have also received fantastic support from the trainers and medical staff at this Club.”
Michael said he felt the game had evolved to a point where it no longer suited players of his body type.
“The way that football has evolved just doesn’t suit my frame and body type anymore. It is more of a young, running-mans type of game,” Michael said.
“When I started I was 68kg and now I’m 100kg. I encourage the younger guys to be better runners than to be heavier.
“In light of my experience at the club over the past two years, I believe the club and its supporters are going to have many successful years ahead of them.”
In typical Michael style, he was quick to make light of his previous ‘retirement’ from the Brisbane Lions. He was controversially talked out of retirement by Essendon shortly afterwards.
“I was getting a little bit of deja vu when I walked in,” he quipped to the waiting media.
“I think it was harder the first time to be honest. I was 29 at that point and was battling each week to play.
“In terms of what I am going to be doing next year, it is widely known that there were many factors prompting my retirement in 2006 – my charity in New Guinea as well as some business interests.
“As you know, I am from Papua New Guinea, and next year will give me the opportunity to pursue that in more of a full-time role.
“In 2002, I returned to New Guinea after many years and I saw the trouble the country had so I wanted to help in some ways.
“With my football career drawing to a close, I wanted to spend some time up there with the charity and also my business interests and hopefully I can increase the standards of education, sport and health in the country.
Essendon coach Matthew Knights said the contribution of Michael to the Club over the past two seasons should not be under-estimated.
“We feel Mal has made a great contribution to the football club - not only through playing good football but he has also allowed Dustin Fletcher great flexibility to play good football club while aiding in the development of Patrick Ryder a young player,” Knights said.
“The body size and the strength he has had certainly given Patrick confidence over the past two years to know that he has Mal there with him.”
